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Senate snapshots: Asha Seth speaks on behalf of vulnerable Canadians

Conservative Sen. Asha Seth has advocated for blind and partially sighted Canadians. Before the Senate rose for the summer, she put forward an inquiry to have the Senate study increasing rates of blindness in Canada and strategies for preventing further vision loss in the population.Photo: Handout

Andrea Hill

Published: August 14, 2013 - 5:37 PM

Updated: August 27, 2013 - 4:22 PM

Canadians watching the Senate spending affair may be forgiven for wondering what the upper chamber does aside from claiming expenses. In an occasional series, Postmedia News provides snapshots of some of the other members of the Senate of Canada. Today: Asha Seth

When Conservative Sen. Asha Seth isn’t studying legislation or preparing for committee meetings, she’s often found treating patients at her Toronto-based private practice.

Since her Senate appointment last January, Seth hasn’t been exercising her medical expertise as much as she used to. But the woman who dreamed of being a doctor since she was five years old said she doesn’t regret her decision to sit in Canada’s upper chamber. After all, the government role puts her in a unique position to help people in different ways.

“Now that I’ve become a senator, I’m able to speak on behalf of vulnerable Canadians at a national level,” she said. “That is a big privilege and a big responsibility.”

At a time when senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin are making headlines for their involvement in well-publicized expense scandals and politicians from all parties are calling for reform or abolition of the chamber, some senators — including Seth — say they are trying to make the most of their appointments and give taxpayers bang for their bucks.

One group Seth has advocated for as a senator is blind and partially sighted Canadians. Before the Senate rose for the summer, she put forward an inquiry to have the Senate study increasing rates of blindness in Canada and strategies for preventing further vision loss in the population. She also co-sponsored a motion to have the Senate recognize June as Deaf-Blind Awareness Month in order to raise awareness of challenges faced by deaf and blind people and to recognize contributions of blind and deaf Canadians.

Seth said the incidence of blindness and partial sightedness is on the rise and that “it’s a good idea to see how we can create awareness.”

Seth has been passionate about helping blind and partially sighted people for years, both as a physician and as a board member for the CNIB (formerly known as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind). The India-born physician founded the NIMDAC Foundation, which fundraises for health-related charities in association with the Northern Indian Medical and Dental Association of Canada, and has raised six-figure sums for organizations including CNIB, the Canadian Helen Keller Centre and the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons.

In addition to shedding light on the needs of the partially sighted community, Seth is also working to develop stronger Canada-India relations. She accompanied Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his visit to India in November 2012 when top government officials signed a handful of trade and security agreements, and she returned to India by herself this past January to represent Canada on trade conferences and speak with state ministers about Canada’s desire to strengthen economic ties with the country. Seth said India is “quickly becoming one of the most important economies in the world” and she wants Canadian companies to be aware of and able to access opportunities in Indian markets.

Despite the hot water surrounding the Senate these days, Seth said she is “confident that the Senate is making itself interested in transparency and accountability,” and that her patients, family and friends remain proud of her position in the red chamber.

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Asha Seth at a glance

Political affiliation: ConservativeAppointed: January 2012Appointed on the recommendation of: Prime Minister Stephen HarperProvince represented: OntarioCurrent committees: Member of the aboriginal peoples committee, member of the legal and constitutional affairs committee, member of the social affairs, science and technology committeeLife before politics: Gynaecologist, obstetricianHometown: Lucknow, IndiaAge: 73Retirement date: December 2014Fun fact: During the Indo-Chinese war of 1962, Seth organized a blood donation clinic for the Indian army.